Budget travel guide to San Sebastián, Spain
San Sebastián, a famous resort city on the bay, boasts beautiful beaches, some of Basque country’s best pintxos, (traditional bar snacks), and a charming Belle Époque old town. It’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary.
And while San Sebastián (like most of Basque Country) doesn’t normally figure among Spain’s most budget-friendly destination, with a little planning and our tips below, you’ll find that your time here doesn’t have to break the bank!
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San Sebastian budget travel guide
Read on for our best advice for saving on your trip to San Sebastián.
When to Go
For the best possible prices for airfare and accommodation, time your visit to avoid major local events like the San Sebastián Jazz Festival in July and the San Sebastián International Film Festival in September. During August, the city is overrun with vacationing folks from around Spain and Europe.
Your best bet for good weather, reasonable prices, and fewer crowds? Early spring and fall. Just remember to bring an umbrella, as some scattered showers are a near certainty.
Getting There
San Sebastián has its own airport, but it’s small and flights there tend to be more expensive than flights to nearby Bilbao.
At the time of writing, we found round-trip flights with Iberia Airlines from JFK to San Sebastián starting at €673, and to Bilbao starting at €608, both with a connection in Madrid.
For extra savings in the busy summer months of July and August, it may be best to fly round-trip from the States into Madrid, and then hop a budget flight or a train from Madrid to San Sebastián. We found direct flights to Madrid starting at €400 and flights and trains from Madrid to San Sebastián starting at €50.
If you’re not in a big hurry, another budget-friendly option for getting from Madrid to San Sebastián is a €26 ticket for five and a half hours on an ALSA Bus or about the same price and time frame for a rideshare with Bla Bla Car from Madrid to the Basque city.
From the airports to the city: From the Donostia Airport, you’ll want to hop a Lurraldebus E21 into the city center. It costs between €1.60-2.30 and will drop you off at Gipuzkoa Plaza. From the Bilbao airport, the best option is a substantially more expensive Pesa Bus for about €17 each way.
Getting Around
San Sebastián’s old town is very walkable and pedestrian-friendly, but should you want to venture further afield, the city is connected via a public bus service called Dbus. It operates from 7 am to 11 pm with limited overnight routes. A one-way fare costs €1.65.
If you’re traveling in a group or plan to use transit frequently, you may want to spring for a San Sebastián Card (City Card). The €9 card includes 6 trips on the D-Bus, while the €16 card includes 12 trips. Multiple users can share it, and you also get discounts to museums, eateries, and stores around town. You’ll even get €.50 back if you return the card to the tourist office in mint condition!
Cheap and free things to do in San Sebastian
San Sebastián is a beautiful place to spend some time outdoors. Stroll the Old Town, window shop, and snap a few shots of the gorgeous Bell Époque buildings in the 19th-century “new” town. Be sure to have a look around the city hall — it was once a casino frequented by the likes of the Rothschild and Mata Hari.
Or take a sunrise or sunset walk along La Concha Bay all the way to Ondaretta Beach until you reach Eduardo Chillida’s public artwork, Wind Comb. Take photos of the colorful sky through the large-scale sculptures.
Do you prefer the mountains to the coast? Hike up to the top of Mount Urgull for views of the city, and while you’re there, check out the former summer residence of the Spanish royal family and Casa de la Historia. Or if you want panoramic views without a long hike, hop the over a hundred-year-old funicular from Ondaretta Beach up the hill to Monte Igueldo for €3.15.
If you’re a bit of a history buff, don’t miss the city’s Sant Telmo Museum, dedicated to Basque history. Admission is free all day every Tuesday.
Budget-friendly eating and drinking
San Sebastián is famous throughout Spain and around the world for its cuisine. With a focus on fresh and seasonal local ingredients, the food here is hard to resist. That said, the quality of the ingredients and the care with which they are cooked is definitely reflected in the prices.
Like elsewhere in Spain, if you want to feast for less, eat out at lunchtime, between 2 and 4 pm so you can take advantage of fixed-price menus, although you should expect them to be 10-15% more expensive than they are in Barcelona and Madrid.
When the evening rolls around, pintxos are your best bet for gourmet budget treats. These slivers of Spanish omelet, baby eel, seafood, cheese, and charcuterie — all stacked on diminutive slices of bread and held together with a toothpick — cost between €2 and €5 per serving. In most places, pintxos work on the honor system. When it’s time to settle up, you show the server your toothpicks and pay up.
For some of San Sebastián’s best pintxos at a reasonable price, try Bar Borda Berri (Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 12). Craving something sweet? Splurge on a massive €5 slice of cheesecake at La Viña (Treinta y uno de Agosto Kalea, 3). If you want to do an unofficial pintxos crawl, we’d recommend heading to the Gros District – it’s just a short walk from the old town, and prices will be 10-20% cheaper for pintxos that are just as delicious.
Cheap hotels in San Sebastian
San Sebastián is home to some of the most expensive hotels in Spain but don’t let that discourage you. To save on accommodations follow a couple of rules — stay away from the beach and don’t stay overnight during the city’s major festivals (or the days leading up to them). With demand skyrocketing, prices can double or triple for big events.
Budget hotels start at around €50 per night for a double room with most prices hovering around €70. Beds in shared dorms start at €15 per person nightly.
A double room looks out onto a small balcony at Pensión San Ignacio Centro. Photo: Booking.com
An affordable option that we like is Pensión Urkia. It’s located in the heart of San Sebastián just two blocks from the beach and has rooms under €100. Two other excellent budget options are Pensión San Ignacio Centro, a stylish stay near the train station, and Loaldia, a handsome hotel near the beach housed in a building from 1920.
Because San Sebastián is a more expensive place to eat and sleep than elsewhere in Spain, you might want to book an accommodation with a kitchen.
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Your tips for saving in San Sebastian
Have you been to San Sebastián? Share your best tips for exploring the city on a budget in the comments below.
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Hello, to catch the bus from Bilbao to San Sebastian, is the bus directly at the airport in Bilbao? Or will one have to travel a bus station in Bilbao to then get on another bus to San Sebastian?
Hi Courtney,
We have never taken that route, but I found a website that says you can take a bus from Bilbao Airport direct to San Sebastian: http://www.sansebastian.travel/en/bilbao-airport/
I also found information on the official Bibao Airport website:
http://www.aena.es/en/bilbao-airport/public-transport.html
Have a great trip!
I used to think SanSeb as just pintxos, but the beach has truly been a revelation for us over the years. And the sidre of course. We always so tend to spend a little more cash than we’d like so will be sharing this with by husband. Cheers!